Weed destroyer



May 29, 1934. c. R. LAUBENFELS WEED DESTROYER Filed July 5, 1932 Patented May 29, 1934 1,960,819

UNiTED STATES PATENT oFFlcE WEED DESTROYER Clarence R. Laubenfels, Burlington, Iowa Application July 5, 1932, Serial No. 620,850

3 Claims. (Cl. 47-49) This invention relates to improvements in weed packing 13 is mounted between the cap and the destroying apparatus. end of the tube.

It is a well known fact that if certain kinds Supported in the center of the cap 12 is a short of chemicals in the form of fluids are delivered pipe or tube 14 having one end projecting up- 5 to the roots of plants to be destroyed, at a point Wardly into the container formed in the tube 10, Ga

below the ground surface, that the plants will be and its opposite end projecting downwardly from completely destroyed without further effort on the cap a slight distance. The tube 14 is sealed the part of the operator. The main diliiculty in in the cap l2 to form a tight connection between this method of destroying weeds consists in prothe tube and said cap.

viding a cheap apparatus which may be easily The lower edge of the tube 14 is beveled to re- 65 and efficiently Operated, 1 ceive a conical valve 15. The lower end of the It is, therefore, the object of my invention to Valve is in the form of an inverted cone to provide a Simple, durable and inexpensive tool provide a point for the lower end of the tube 14 for easily and quickly applying uid compounds when the valve is in a closed position. A valve 15 to the crowns or roots of plants at a point below 16 iS DrOViCied fOr CiOSirlg the upper end 0f the 70 the ground surface in suiiicient quantities to kill tube 14, said valves being connected by means the plants, Y of a rod 17, the length of which is such that More specifically it is the object of my invenwhen the valve 16 is in a closed position, the valve tion to provide a tool which may be easily carried 15 iS in an Open DOSitiOH, aS illustrated iu Figure 20 and operated, in which is provided a container 2, 0I' if the valve 15 is moved to a closed posi- 75 for carrying a considerable amount of liquid for tion, then the valve 16 will be moved t0 arl Open the purpose above stated, and provided with DOSitiOrl aS iiluStlated iu Figure 1. means for piercing the ground surface adjacent FOI' Yieidabiy ilOldirlg the Valve 16 in a closed to the root or crown of the plant being destroyed, DGSitOil I have PrOVided a Spring 18, the upper and in Connection therewith means for autometiend of which rests against inwardly projecting 80 cally delivering to said roots measured quantities leinS 19 and the tube 14. of liquid, all being accomplished in a single oper- The lower erii 0f the Spring 15 iS mounted on a ation. Spider 2O threaded on the lower portion of the My invention consists in the construction, arred 17, at a DOlTt abOVe tile upper end 0f the rangement and combination of the various parts VaiVe i5, S0 that a Space 2l iS provided between 85 or the device, whereby the objects contemplated tile Spider and the lower end 0f the VaiVe t0 perare attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, mit fluid t0 fiOW mere readily flOm the tube pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the till'Oueh the Space between the valve 15 and the accompanying drawing, in which: Seat 22, formed by the beveled lower edge of the Figure l is a side elevation of my improved weed tube 14. 90 destroyer illustrating the manner in which the The upper end 0f the rOC 17 iS provided With ground surface adjacent to the plant is pierced a ihreaied Dertien 23 011 Whieh a Spider 24 iS thereby, the lower end of the container being mounted- Said Spider 24 aCtS aS a guide fOr broken away to illustrate the interior constructhe upper end 0f the rod.

4G tion. l The practical operation of my device is as fol- 95 Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional View of iOWSI the lower end of the weed destroyer illustrating Assuming that the tube 01 Container 10 has the manner in which fluid is emptied from the been lled with fluid suitable for the destruction container inte the cavity formed by the piercing of weeds, such for instance as dendelions. and

apparatusthat the cap l2 has been placed in position, the 100 Figure 3 is a detail Sectional View taken on the valve 16 will be automatically closed by the spring line 3-3 of Figure 2. 18 to prevent fluid from flowing out of the con- Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the tailler, the ODeratOi then plaeeS the peinted end line 4-4 of Figure 2. of the valve 15 on the ground surface immedi- Referring to the accompanying drawing, I have ately above the crown or root and then applies 105 used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the a downward pressure on the handle 11, causing body of the weed destroyer -which is preferably the valve 15 to be moved to a closed position and in the form of a tube having its upper end closed the valve 16 opened. Fluid will then flow from and provided with a handle 11. The lower end the container 10 into the interior of the tube 14.

of the tube 10 has a cap 12 threaded thereon. A Further downward pressure on the handle 11 110 will cause the outwardly projecting end of the tube 14 to enter the ground surface in the manner illustrated in Figure 1 to a distance of about an inch and a half until the cap 12 engages the ground surface.

The handle 11 is then lifted, together with the container 10, so that a cavity 25 is formed in the ground surface adjacent to the root of the plant being treated. As the handle is moved upwardly, the spring 18 will close the valve 16 and at the same time open the valve 15, permitting the uid to now outwardly through the space between the valve 15 and the seat 22 into the cavity 25.

It will be seen that as the fluid is delivered to the cavity 25, it will flow downwardly over the valve 15 and wash off any particles of grit or soil which might otherwise adhere thereto.

I have found by actual experiment that a considerable amount o1 space is necessary between the lower edge of the seat 22 and the lower edge or" the valve 15, as otherwise uid will be held in the space between the seat and said valveby capillary action and surface tension. As the fluid is emptied from the member 14, sufcient air is permitted to enter, which escapes upwardly through the tube each time the valve 15 is closed and the valve 16 opened to replace the fluid displaced. In this manner the container is always iiuid tight so it may be handled either in a vertical or horizontal position without danger of leaking.

The tube 14 is of such length and width as to provide a measuring device for delivering each time the exact quantity necessary to completely destroy the root, thereby providing means whereby the fluid may be economically and easily delivered.

The piercing of the ground surface and the delivering of the fluid takes place in one operation so that a large number of plants may be treated in a comparatively small amount of time and at a low cost. v

, The tubular member 14 is mounted in the cap which is detached from the body 10, so that adjustment of the valves and the mechanism for actuating the saine maybe easily accomplished when necessary. The en.ire mechanism is dissembled by moving thevalve 15, which is threaded to the lower end or" the rod 17. The spider 20 is then removed, permitting the spring 14 to be taken from the tubular member. The valve 16 and the spider 24 are removed through the inner end or" the Icube.

The valve 16 is preferably of resilient material such as leather clamped between a nut 26 and a head 2'7. The nut 26 is mounted on the threaded portion 23.

Thus it will be seen that I have-provided a weed destroyer of that iype adapted to deliver fluids to the roots of weeds and similar plants, which is of simple and light construction, and which may be rapidly and efficiently operated.

I claim as my invention.'

1. A weed destroying tool comprising a hollow cylindrical body closed at its top for containing fluid, a cap for detachably closing the open end of said body, said cap including a tube supported longitudinally lof said body and having one end projecting outwardly therefrom, the outer end of said tube having an annular valve seat, a valve for said seat having substantially the form of a double cone with its bases adjacent, a rod mounted longitudinally through the center of said tube to support said valve and of such size as to provide a iluid chamber between the said rod and the walls of said tube, said fluid chamber being of such size as to permit iluid to flow freely from the chamber when the valve is open, a second valve on the inner end of said rod for closing the inner endof said tube when the outer valve is open, and means for yieldably moving the inner valve to a closed position and the outer valve to an open position.

2. A weed destroying tool comprising a hollow body for containing fluid and having its lower end closed, said lower end including a tube supported longitudinally of said body and having f one end projecting outwardly therefrom and its other end extending upwardly into said body, a valve for closing the lower end of saidtube, said valve having its lower end pointed, a valve for closing the inner end of said tube, a rod mounted longitudinally through the center of said tube to operatively connect said valves, said rod being of such size as to provide a fluid chamber between said rod and the side walls of said tube, said tube being of such size as to form a measuring chamber and to permit fluid to flow freely from the interior of said body, and means for yieldably moving the inner valve to a closed position and the outer valve to an open position.

3. A weed destroying tool comprising a hollow body for containing fluid and having its lower endA closed, said lower end including a tube supported longitudinally of said body and having one end projecting outwardly therefrom, the other end of said tube extending into said body, a valve for closing the lower end of said tube, said valve having its lower end pointed, a valve for closing the inner end of said tube, a rod mounted longitudinally through the center of said tube to connect said valves, pins projecting inward'y from the central portion :of said tube, a spider fixed to said rod near its upper end, a second spider fixed to said rod near its lower end, said spider being slidably mounted in said tube, a spring carried by said rod having one end resting on the second spider and its other end resting against said pins, whereby the inner valve will be yieldably held in a closed position and the outer valve to an open position.

CLARENCE R. LAUBENFELS. 

